Guerrero’s term as AFP chief of staff extended
President Duterte extended the service of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero, Malacañang said on Thursday.
The newly installed AFP chief's term was set to expire on December 17, 2017, less than two months after he took his oath last October 26, for reaching the compulsory retirement age of 56.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said President Duterte, through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, extended Guerrero's service until April 24, 2018.
“General Guerrero will reach his age of compulsory retirement on December 17, 2017, and the President has extended his service to April 24, 2018, as per Republic Act No. 8186, or six months since he assumed office as AFP chief of staff,” he added.
With the extension, Guerrero, who replaced now Interior Undersecretary Eduardo Año, will be serving a six-month term as AFP chief of staff.
The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Guerrero, along with the promotion of 40 other military officers.
Guerrero took charge of the AFP days after the military announced that it is winding down its offensive operations in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.
Earlier, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzano had expressed hope that Duterte would extend the term of Guerrero.
“The President has the prerogative to extend the term of a retiring chief of staff. We still have martial law [in Mindanao]. That is a good reason for the President to extend whoever is the chief of staff,” he added.
Duterte had earlier ordered Guerrero to supervise the destruction of all confiscated firearms from the Marawi siege. “All arms, whether highpowered or hand guns, will be destroyed in some place to show that we are also able to meet the challenges of terrorism and violence,” he said.
Duterte also said that while the Marawi siege is over, the threat of terrorism and insurgency, especially in the Mindanao, are still persistent. “I therefore enjoin our troops to support the leadership of General Guerrero by remaining committed to your mission of ensuring [the] safety and security of our nation,” he added. Extension welcomed The Armed Forces of the Philippines welcomed President Duterte's decision to extend for four more months the term of General Guerrero as AFP chief of staff.
AFP Public Affairs Office chief Marine Col.Edgard Arevalo said the extension will allow General Guerrero more time to implement important plans and programs of the AFP, especially in this challenging time that the nation faces threats from foreign and local terrorists and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
Arevalo said Guerrero is grateful to the President for the latter’s continued trust and confidence in his capability to lead the AFP. “The extension also gives General Guerrero the opportunity to fast-track the upgrade of the AFP capability as it aspires to be a world-class Armed Forces that is a source of national pride,” he added.
Arevalo said Guerrero will personally lead the AFP in celebration of its 82nd anniversary in the third week of December with the theme: “Protecting the People; Securing the State.”
Department of National Defense spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the extension will give Guerrero more time to implement his programs for the military.
Guerrero, a member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Maharlika Class of 1984, assumed the AFP leadership on October 26, 2017, replacing General Año who is now an undersecretary in the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).